Facebook touts huge solar-powered drone

Facebook gave an update on its ambitious drone strategy Thursday, reportedly touting a solar-powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with a wingspan similar to a Boeing 767.

Facebook has successfully conducted the first test flight of its drone technology, explained the social media giant’s Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer during his keynote at the firm’s F8 developer conference in San Francisco.

TechCrunch reports that the drone, codenamed Aquila, weighs less than a car and will use solar power to stay in the air for three months at a time. Aquila will use lasers to provide Internet access to people 60,000 to 90,000 feet below, and communication with other Facebook drones providing coverage over a wide area.

Facebook will conduct Aquila test flights this summer, with a broader rollout over the next several years, according to TechCrunch.

In a statement, Facebook said that the drone will “one day help connect people living in the world’s most remote communities.”